‘Golden Restless Age’ and ‘Time in Disguise’ both seem to muse on themes of youth and growth. This track feels like a foggy, quiet night under streetlights, with dreamy lyrics like “Wide awake encased in a dream / Everything is not as it seems / All your time is heaven sent / Days and nights all start to blend.” It’s slower, more mellow and with a futuristic synth sound not usually a hallmark of Kings of Leon songs. The second track, ‘100,000 People’, already throws a bold contrast against the lead single. It’s clear why this is the album’s single – it’s classic Kings of Leon. This song embodies Kings of Leon’s signature energy: loud riffs, unique vocals, and a fast pace. The lead single is ‘The Bandit’, a song that tells a vivid story about a bandit and a bounty hunter, who through their obsessions with each other become the most important people in each other’s lives – inspired by Followill’s love of Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson.

It’s clear why this is the album’s single – it’s classic Kings of Leon The chorus of ‘Claire & Eddie’ warns “Fire’s gonna rage if people don’t change” – an oddly prescient statement considering the waves of political unrest in the US the past year. It’s not only COVID anthems that were written, though. A lot of the content is prophetic.” Lyrics such as “Is it a man or a masked machine?” (‘Time in Disguise’) and “we could be here forever without a doubt” (‘Echoing’) make for a selection of quarantine anthems. During an interview with The Guardian, however, lead singer Caleb Followill said of the record: “It very much looks like it was written during quarantine. The record’s release was postponed for a year due to COVID-19, and so was mostly written pre-pandemic. The album is still very much guitar-centred, a fact not likely to be altered on any Kings of Leon’s records, but the band also experiment with a more atmospheric sound.

When You See Yourself is the second album produced by Markus Dravs, the brains behind some of Arcade Fire and Coldplay’s best work. This gradually evolved, with the alternative, arena-rock sound handing them mainstream success with hits like ‘Sex on Fire’ and ‘Use Somebody.’ Their early music, such as 2003’s ‘Holy Roller Novocaine’, saw a fusion of Southern rock and garage rock, with blues influences.

Kings of Leon have never been shy of experimenting with their sound.

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